Dogs and dog owners of Te Puke, things are back on track to see part of Lawrence Oliver Park to be transformed into the dog exercise park you helped design.

Generous funding from TECT and hard mahi/work from the Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway Society will see $48k pumped into the project.

This means the dog exercise area will go ahead as per original plans, and not be scaled back or delayed because of budget constraints.

The injection of funds adds to the $30k funded through Western Bay of Plenty District Council's dog registrations and Long Term Plan 2021-31 allocation, and $20k from the Te Puke Community Board.

With funding in place, we can expect work to start on the dog exercise area very soon, with completion as soon as Spring 2023.

Dog owners can expect to enjoy

• Two securely fenced enclosures for high-energy and chilled out pups
• Water fountain (easement secured and pipes have been laid)
• A shade sail
• Bench seating
• Paths
• Bins
• Dog poo bag dispensers

Explore the plans for yourself on our website.

Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway Society secretary Grant Dally says the group applied for funding to cover a funding shortfall. He says that the dogs of Te Puke and their owners are going to love this facility.

'Dog walkers are one of the biggest users of Te Ara Kahikatea pathway, so we are quietly confident that the dog exercise area will be very popular.

'Based on a conservative guess that half of the 100 average users on the path each day are dog walkers, then we could see around 350 people and their dogs enjoying the dog exercise area every week.”

Grant says TECT has been very good to the group with past funding support for Te Puke community projects such as Jubilee Park skatepark, building our two boardwalks, and upgrading our pathway surface.

'Dog exercise areas are becoming more popular and are well used in other parts of the country, and given the high level of dog ownership in our region it makes sense to provide dog owners a place where their dogs can get the appropriate exercise they need in a secure and appropriate space,” says TECT chief executive Wayne Werder.

'We are pleased to be able to support a project that has been community led and was co-designed with those people impacted the most; and we know that once it's built, it will be a valuable addition to the Lawrence Oliver Park and Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway area.”

Council Reserves and Facilities Manager Peter Watson explains that the dog exercise area at Lawrence Oliver Park will be a real asset for dog owners in Te Puke.

'We're excited to see the community's designs come to life and be enjoyed by a lot of happy kurī.

'We know open spaces like these add a lot to the well-being of our people. Soon, dog owners will be able to exercise their dogs safely while connecting with likeminded people and enjoying the mental and physical benefits of being outdoors.”

Next steps

Coucil's tentative timeline could look like

Dog exercise areas in Ōmokoroa and Katikati

Te Puke's dog exercise area is the first of four across the District. The other three dog exercise areas proposed are in Waihī Beach, Katikati, and Ōmokoroa. Our Your Place Tō wāhi community kōrero/talk covers whether your agree with where the exercise areas are proposed to go in Katikati and Ōmokoroa.

Go to Yourplace.nz to share your thoughts.

Your contribution to our dog exercise areas

Through our community kōrero on the Long Term Plan 2021-31, 68 percent of people gave their support for creating secure fenced dog exercise areas, at top four locations of Te Puke, Ōmokoroa, Katikati and Waihī Beach.

The Lawrence Oliver dog exercise area concept plan was then created through the Maketu-Te Puke Reserve Management Plan review, where you shared your thoughts and ideas. In 2022 Council adopted the final concept plan for the Lawrence Oliver Park dog exercise area.